


She says I smell like safety and home

by melbopo



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Laura Hale, Alive Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Allison is a barista, Allison is a werewolf, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Tattoos, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Attracted by Scents, Derek owns a bakery/cafe, F/F, Genderfluid Isaac, Hinted at past Lydia/Jackson, Like less than a paragraph, Lydia is a tattoo artist, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Minor Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Scenting, This is my fav AU I have ever made, Very fluffy, cuteness ensues, very minor sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-09 00:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5517995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melbopo/pseuds/melbopo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Isaac's Guide to Wooing (pointers from Erica based on Allison) -<br/>-break shit at first scent of them<br/>-compliment them<br/>-write encouraging messages on their food<br/>-put foam hearts on their drinks<br/>-cover oneself in frosting<br/>and, most importantly:<br/>-embarrass oneself... constantly.</p><p>This fic is a holiday/thank you present to my two biggest cheerleaders, Charlie and Kayla, who have been constantly encouraging and inspiring me to write since 2014!<br/>Thank you both so much and I love youuuu <3</p>
            </blockquote>





	She says I smell like safety and home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [puppybusby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/puppybusby/gifts), [hollandperfection](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hollandperfection/gifts).



> This may not be my favorite fic that I have ever written (though I am very proud of it!), it is definitely my favorite universe that I have ever created! I actually thought of this universe one year ago, did a bunch of graphics of the gang in this universe, and wrote like four chapters of a fic (it became sterek centric so it didn't go far - sorry!). So instead of line breaks I used those old graphics (that still accurately show what I imagine the characters to look like)!
> 
> Since then, I have altered the universe to incorporate all of [Charlie's favorite AUs](http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e256/rongranger12/Fanfiction%20Graphics/CharlieReplies_zps5oeowbie.png) and I'm really pleased with how it came out (here's hoping that I add to this Hale of a Good Time AU)!  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Ps. Title comes from Mary Lambert's ["She Keeps Me Warm"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhqH-r7Xj0E) which is a coffeeshop!AU music video L O L  
> Pss. If I forgot tags, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!

The bells over the door of the small cafe chime, signalling the entry of another customer for the mid afternoon rush, but Allison didn’t even look up from where she is carefully balancing two espresso cups under the stainless steel caffeine providing beast. As a veteran barista with six years under her belt, the chaos of people demanding coffee and sweets to curb their afternoon slump no longer phased her the way it used to when she first started at Starbucks, working to cover the costs of her college textbooks, alcohol, and latest tattoos. She knows to simply focus on making espressos and finishing off the different drink orders Derek starts for her. The cafe has a tried and true system down for their busiest hours: Isaac on baked goods, Erica on cash register, Derek on drink prep, and Allison on drink completion.

Allison is pulling back the full espresso cups when a scent unlike anything she’s ever smelled hits her. The unusual scent startles Allison so badly that she drops the espresso cups, her eyes flickering their beta gold completely on instinct as she uses her enhanced senses to fully parse it out. It smells ...earthy, vibrant, warm, and like… like…  _ home. _

Thankfully the bustle of the cafe is loud enough to cover the sound of shattered porcelain, so no one is staring at Allison’s slip up as she quickly scans the crowd for the scent’s source. The moment Allison identifies the owner of the scent, they turn their head to face her, as if they could sense her gaze. Piercing hazel eyes framed by long wavy strawberry blonde hair lock on Allison’s and she feels her heart quicken. They lift one corner of their ruby red lips in a smirk and Allison is completely gone - full head over heels. A nudge from Derek drags her back to the present chaos and she blushes profusely at having been caught so distracted by her best friend. “You gonna clean up your mess or what?” Derek asks with a raised brow, gesturing at the broken cups and spilt espresso with his chin. “The afternoon rush is not the time to get distracted by a pretty face.” Derek adds with a smirk as he helps set up new espresso cups.

Allison’s blush turns a darker red in embarrassment as she bends down to sweep up the mess with the dustbroom they keep by the trash. Trying to regain some semblance of the cool, calm, and collected she was feeling all of five minutes prior. She takes a deep breathe through her mouth to calm down the excitement she can feel from her wolf at having caught the most amazing scent. Allison stands up, pushing aside the intense desire to approach this stranger and shove her nose in their throat just so she can smell and taste that intoxicating scent so much clearer. Derek must have some sort of understanding of what Allison is struggling with because he grins fondly at her while thrusting the latest order order sheet into her hands, having moved himself to fully take over their drink back up. “Put a heart in the foam or some shit.”

“That is perfect- I knew we were best friends for a reason!” Allison responds with a blinding smile at Derek’s wooing advice before suddenly her smile is fading just as fast as it appeared, “Wait, what if they don’t get a latte? Or anything to even drink?!”

Derek shrugs as he moves the espresso cups around to start steaming milk, “Eh, strike up a conversation?” Allison makes an unimpressed face in response, “What?! I’m not the one to ask for advice! You know I am the worst at approaching people that I find attractive…”

Allison laughs at Derek’s honesty, pouring soy milk into a paper cup, “You’re right - you just stare at them with this angry eyebrow scowl like their attractiveness personally offends you, praying they find it hot instead of scary.”

Derek fake pouts in response to Allison’s teasing, nudging her to trade spaces with him again, well aware that no one mans the espresso machine quite as efficiently as she does. She laughs harder at his face, feeling more relaxed from their usual banter, as she works through the rest of their back up and calling out the different names for people to pick up their orders. Out of the corner of her eye, Allison notices that the red lipped beauty is still milling around. None of the next five drinks Allison makes are lattes so she doesn’t even have an excuse to test out her foam artwork skills.

“Dirty chai? For Lydia?” Allison calls out, looking up when she notices the strawberry blonde (Lydia, Lydia, Lydia her brain repeats, testing out the sound of the name while committing it to memory), approaching the counter. Their fingers brush as Allison hands over the to go cup and the brief contact causes Allison’s fingertips to feel tingly.

“Thanks”, Lydia says, bringing the cup to their lips to inhale the spicy cinnamon scent of the chai. Lydia smiles happily as if to thank her, causing Allison’s wolf to puff up in pride. “I like that your name tags all include your pronoun preference - it’s refreshing.”

The comment throws Allison for a moment, because this beautiful human, that smells like all of Allison’s favorite things, willingly is engaging in conversation with her! She quickly catches back up to the moment, smiling warmly, “Thanks! It was Derek’s idea,” with a head gesture to Derek, working next to her. ”Some of our workers change their pronoun preference depending on the day and we wanted a noninvasive way to respect them and their identities.” Allison still remembers Isaac bursting into tears of joy when Derek handed them a second nametag after a particularly grating day for Isaac of society not grasping the concept of gender fluidity

“That’s awesome - I wish more places adopted that protocol.”

“What are your preferred pronouns? If you don’t mind sharing with me…” Allison quickly amends, blushing slightly at her bluntness.

Lydia doesn’t look annoyed or put off by the question, smiling sweetly with a smooth reply, “Currently, she/her but I used to prefer they/them when I was in college.”

Allison nods slowly, committing it to her memory along side Lydia’s name, “Thanks for telling me.”

Lydia turns to walk away and Allison is scrambling for something to say to make her stay a little bit longer in this space with her. Her eyes catch on a splash of color that is visible on Lydia’s cheek as her curls move out of her face. Allison finds herself half exclaiming at Lydia’s retreating form, “I like your tattoo!”

She almost berates herself for being so loud and embarrassing but the sly smirk that Lydia gives as she replies is worth hundreds of awkward encounters in Allison’s mind, “Thanks - I have many, many more that aren’t so… visible.” If her words weren’t suggestive enough, the wink she finishes with before she pushes out of the door, most definitely is. Derek laughs at the loud sigh Allison lets out before he whacks her with a damp tea towel to get back to work.

  

 

It’s the mid morning quiet period for the cafe which means Allison finally has down time to experiment with the sandwich special for the following day. Experimenting for her means bothering Boyd while he makes the afternoon pastries to pick his taste buds. Boyd has the best palette out of the whole pack and is not afraid to give helpful feedback. He’s also the best baker out of the pack, running a successful blog ( _ Baking with Boyd _ ) in addition to all the goods he makes for the cafe. Boyd and Allison are constantly using each other as test subjects for their latest cooking creation.

Currently, the two of them are sampling Allison’s garlic butter chicken panini and Boyd’s pumpkin cinnamon buns, attempting to put a name to the spice or flavor that is lacking. Boyd taps his lips with his pointer finger in concentration before using that same finger to gesture to the sandwich. “Use sourdough instead of a bulky roll to add to the flavor instead of distract from it, add some thyme to the butter, and use less spinach but more arugula. That will take the sandwich from just okay to really great.”

Allison nods as she jots down Boyd’s input next to the recipe, “That makes sense. I-”

Erica’s blonde curly head peeks into the back kitchen, her interruption cutting Allison off. “Hey Allison, come save Derek. He looks like he’s either having an internal crisis or severe constipation.”

Allison rolls her eyes at Erica’s description and the disgruntled noise Derek makes in response, well aware that that face on Derek means he is definitely having a crisis. Erica’s head does a double take at the baked goods on the table and walks fully into the kitchen, making grabby hands at the cinnamon buns. “Why am I never invited to tastings anymore?”

“Because you eat all the samples and offer no helpful input except for, ‘Yum!’” Boyd responds as he puts extra icing on a small cut of the pumpkin cinnamon bun.

“But it’s true!” Erica responds with a fake pout as she makes more grabby hands at the sugary goodness in Boyd’s hand.

“Yeah, but not really helpful.” Allison sing songs as she grabs her recipe off the table, walking towards the door that leads to the front. She pauses and turns back around to face them, “I think the cinnamon buns could be more pumpkiny- the cinnamon might be over powering the pumpkin flavor.” 

“Pumpkin cinnamon buns?!” Erica exclaims as she grabs the sample and pops the whole piece in her mouth, moaning loud and excitedly at the flavor. Boyd and Allison exchange signature eye rolls as Erica starts to talk with the food not fully chewed or swallowed in her mouth. “Also Allison, that woman that came in the other day, the one that was so attractive that you broke two mugs, is back again today. And she might have looked a little disappointed to not see you manning the cof-Oh I got it!” Erica says excitedly mid thought, barrelling on as if she didn't just alter Allison’s whole morning view at the prospect of seeing Lydia again. “We should name these ‘Basic Bitch Buns!’ Get it?”

Boyd looks unamused as he holds out the frosting spoon to Erica to enjoy, “No.”

“Come on! I can see your blog post now, ‘Boyd’s Basic Bitch Buns’! “ Erica pushes, gesturing into the distance with her non frosting spoon hand. “White suburban soccer mom’s everywhere will love it!”

“I’m revoking your best friend status for that idea- which means no more icing privileges.” Boyd responds as he walks away to put the remaining icing in the fridge. Allison laughs at the puppy dog eyes Erica tries to give Boyd, before leaving the two of them to their bickering as she goes to save Derek from himself while looking out for Lydia.

True to Erica’s word, Derek’s face is in full fledged scowl mode as he firmly wipes down their espresso machine, practically making the stainless steel shine. Allison slides up next to him, gently elbowing him in the side to alert him to her presence. “Whose attractiveness has got you all bent out of shape?” She wiggles her eyebrows playfully as she bites her bottom lip.

Derek doesn’t even look up as he continues to wipe at the same spot on the machine, trying to remove some mark that is visible only to his eyes. Allison just waits Derek out, standing next to him. Finally Derek caves with a deep sigh,  “Allison, he laughs with his whole body but in a really, really,  _ really  _ attractive way.” Allison nods supportively to allow Derek to continue, “I got so distracted just watching him that I overflowed scalding hot coffee all over my fingers.”

Allison cracks a grin at the faint blush on Derek’s cheeks from his embarrassing story. She looks out onto the cafe floor at the people clustered at tables, hoping to catch a sight of Lydia as she inquires, “So, where Mr. I’m-hotter-than-the-coffee-that-burned-Derek’s-hand?”

“Back left table by the fireplace… He’s with that woman that you broke dishware over.” Derek responds with a nod in their general direction, his face relaxing slightly as he remembers that Allison had a similarly embarrassing reaction to finding someone attractive.

Allison rolls her eyes as she grabs a wet tea towel to try to get a sneak peek at this mystery guy while she pretends to wipe down some tables. Allison ducks under the front counter and walks towards the fireplace area, wiping down a few empty tables on her way. As she nears the fireplace, she smells that same intoxicating scent from two days previous which brings a small smile to her lips. Out of the corner of her eye she can see someone in a red hoodie scribbling furiously on a sheet of paper and passing it across the table to the strawberry blonde goddess, Lydia. Lydia writes something on the paper and pushes it back towards the red hoodie person, the classic method of private communication when in the vicinity of supernatural creatures.

As Lydia writes on the piece of paper for a second time, Allison’s eyes trail up her exposed arms and the vibrant array of tattoos on display with Lydia’s jacket off. From this angle, she can see a colorful pansy and the word ‘BANSHEE’. Allison wonders to herself if Lydia is a banshee, an uncommon supernatural creature known for their piercing scream and ability to predict impending death. In her own experience, Allison has only ever met one. Interest piqued by the tattoos, Allison approaches Lydia’s table. “Wow, you weren’t kidding about the tattoos. That pansy is beautiful - it almost looks like a watercolor.”

The hooded boy startles at Allison’s appearance, his arms waving to balance himself before smacking his hands down on the note passing paper. The sudden movement draws Allison’s eyes to the sheet; she can make out an impressively big eyebrowed, scowling smiley face in between the person’s fingers. She grins to herself as she refocuses her attention on Lydia, whose beautiful face is smiling up at her with her chin resting on her palm. “This isn’t even half of them - but thank you.”

“She tattooed the pansy on herself- watercolor tattoos are sort of her specialty.” Lydia’s table mate interjects, pride obvious in his voice. Allison raises an eyebrow at Lydia, in awe of her talent. Lydia smiles shyly as she pushes a lock of her hair off her face with the hand she was resting her chin on, revealing more of the baby blue tattoo on her cheek. Allison follows the tattoo down Lydia’s cheek, down her long exposed neck, and over her collarbone to where it disappears under the collar of her shirt. Allison’s wolf paces with the desire to taste the ink on Lydia skin, to see how far down that tattoo really goes. When Allison’s eyes return to Lydia’s, Lydia’s smile has turned smug as if she knows exactly what Allison is thinking about.

A pointed cough brings Allison back to the public cafe where it probably isn’t the best place to be undressing Lydia with her eyes. Lydia gestures across the table, “Stiles, this is the barista that I was telling you about, Allison. Allison, this is my friend-Stiles.”

Allison can’t help but preen a little at the fact that Lydia talked about her even though their conversation was all of three minutes long. Stiles’s head perks up, “Ah, the werewolf.” His gaze turns critical as he examines Allison in this new light.

“You aren’t one?” Allison says like a question, even though she is pretty sure Stiles isn’t a werewolf. It’s easiest for supernatural beings to label other beings into two categories: “like me” or “not like me”. Without proper and extensive training, it’s hard to sort through all the other possibilities and pinpoint an exact supernatural species.

Stiles smiles mischievously, blinking his eyes slowly to reveal dark purple irises. “Nah, not quite.”

Allison nods sharply, “Magic.” Magic users or druids weren’t uncommon supernatural beings but they’re extremely useful in packs of werewolves for their ability to handle wolfsbane and mountain ash. Stiles winks, his eyes returning to their light brown color as he points a finger gun at her, “ding! ding! ding! We've got a winner.”

Lydia rolls her eyes at Stiles’s theatrics, a fond smile on her lips as if this is something she puts up with often. “Not going to yell at Allison, are you?”

“What?” Allison asks as Stiles blushes at the obvious attempt on Lydia’s part to knock him down a couple of pegs. He hangs his head in defeat, the top of his head leaning on his open palm. His voice sounds slightly muffled as he groans, “It was an honest mistake - I was startled!”

Lydia grins at Allison as if she is about to share some of the juiciest gossip in the world. She leans a little closer towards where Allison is standing, Allison leans in towards her in an automatic response as Lydia whispers in a conspiratory tone, “When we were about to order, Stiles noticed the barista scowling at him for being too loud and promptly exclaimed ‘HE/HIS ARE MY PREFERRED PRONOUNS’ instead of his coffee order.”

Allison barks out a genuine laugh at the image as Stiles looks up from his hand, “He has the most expressive eyebrows I’ve ever seen! They should be illegal on face that ridiculously attractive!”

Allison’s about to explain Derek’s scowl habits when a pointed cough draws the three of them to behind Allison, where a blushing Derek stands. “Eh... Boyd needs your help in the back, Allison.” He gives a stilted half wave attempt to Lydia and Stiles before turning around and heading back to the safety of the counter.

Allison turns back around as Stiles drops his head to the table top, dragging out a long groan that Tina Belcher would be proud of. “Well, I gotta get back to work but it was nice meeting you Stiles! And I’ll see you around Lydia?” Allison proposes, trying and failing to keep the hopefulness out of her voice.

“Absolutely, gotta support local supernaturally owned businesses. Plus, you guys have the best dirty chai in town. But, I guess it’s nice that the staff isn’t hard on the eyes either…” Lydia adds with a wink, making it obvious to Allison if they weren’t dancing around each other earlier then Lydia definitely is right now. While this is only their second interaction, Allison can tell that Lydia is a pretty straightforward person about the things she wants, always sure to leave little room for internal conflict or overthinking. Allison smile dimples her cheek as her wolf practically purrs under the positive attention and compliments from Lydia. She bites her lip as she waves her goodbye before retreating back to the kitchen to prepare for the lunch crowd.

 

 

A couple of days pass before Allison sees Lydia in the cafe again. Today, she is alone, hunched over the table with her face scrunched in deep concentration. Though Allison doesn’t want to interrupt Lydia’s work, she can’t help feeling curious as to what has captured Lydia’s attention so fully. As Allison walks past Lydia’s table on the way to the kitchen with a bucket of dirty cups from the morning crowd, she pauses to glance over Lydia’s shoulder. She only means to spare a quick look but she finds herself entranced by Lydia’s confident strokes. An outline of the tree is thick with dozens of branches takes up the full art pad as she works on filling out the branches. Lydia doesn’t even look up from her art pad as she addresses Allison’s silent question, “I’m working on some new pieces for my portfolio.”

Allison blushes at being caught silently watching like a stalker, but leans in closer now that she has been addressed. She watches in fascination as Lydia makes quick work of adding more leaves to the tree, as if she is drawing life right into the tree. “It’s really amazing how intricate the leaves and trunk are.”

Lydia smiles quickly, “Thanks - I really need to expand my portfolio so I can apply to this amazing tattoo shop downtown. It’s small but it’s also one of the best supernatural friendly parlors in the country AND it’s completely operated by women.”

Lydia’s voice sounds a combination of genuinely excited about the possibility but worried about her competence as an artist, so Allison holds her tongue about being very familiar with that tattoo parlor, not wanting to add any potential stress to the situation. She leans back out of Lydia’s space, her wolf sad to be moving further away from what is quickly becoming her favorite scent. “Well, that sounds awesome. Let me know if I can be of any help!”

“I appreciate the offer but this space is already helping me out greatly- it’s the first place I’ve been able to clear my mind and focus fully on drawing.” Lydia’s smile is small but sweet, her cheeks blushing slightly as she returns to her art pad.

Allison absolutely beams at the compliment of the cafe, taking it as if she is personally responsible for creating a space that helps Lydia feel accomplished. She grins wide and bright her whole walk back to the kitchen, and through the dreaded task of washing the dishes.

A couple of hours later, Allison notices that Lydia is still in the same position, clearly lost in her own world as she draws her thoughts out on the art pad in front of her. Allison smiles fondly, understanding how easy it can be to get caught up in an important and enjoyable task. A genius idea strikes Allison and she immediately gets to work on preparing a little pick me up. Not even five minutes have passed before Allison is placing a fresh chai latte and Boyd’s famous pumpkin cheesecake with a chocolate graham cracker crust at Lydia’s elbow. She retreats just as quickly as she came to hide behind Derek at the counter.

Derek’s quiet snicker at her expense make her wonder if writing the words  _ ‘good luck’ _ in chocolate syrup on the cheesecake in addition to the heart design on the latte constitute as coming on a bit  _ too _ strong. Lydia’s elbow gently knocks against the saucer, distracting her from her work. She looks up in confusion, her expression melting into a soft smile that calms all of Allison’s nerves at once. She watches Lydia’s shoulders relax as she takes a small sip of the chai latte, practically feeling Lydia’s happiness second hand. Lydia turns towards her head towards the counter, clearly looking for the source of the caffeinated joy with the mug still in her hand.

Allison moves to hide fully behind Derek as he ducks down quickly, fully exposing Allison to Lydia’s gaze. She waves a stilted hello through her embarrassment at being caught trying to hid. Unfazed, Lydia whispers a genuine, “thanks”, over her top of her mug that Allison hears crystal clear over the bustle of the cafe. She smiles in response, feeling warmed from the inside out. She attempts to shrug nonchalantly like Lydia’s gratitude is no big deal but misses by a mile if Erica’s fake gagging noises are an accurate gauge. Boyd calls Allison for help out back, offering the perfect escape from embarrassing herself any further by continuing to make heart eyes at Lydia from across the cafe.

After two more hours of steady work, Lydia prepares herself to leave, making sure to stop at the counter to pay for her additional drink and treat. Erica waves her off with a slight eye roll, “It’s been paid for but don’t hesitate to come back to our smitten kitchen, where the wooing is free of charge.” Allison groans from her position at the espresso machine at Erica’s teasing tone, wondering if her pack is actively trying to kill her with embarrassment. Lydia’s eyes narrow at Erica’s words before putting her ten dollar bill into the tip jar with a suspicious “thanks...”

Lydia catches Allison’s eye on the way out, waving good bye with another one of her sweet smiles that melts Allison’s insides. Allison can’t help but watch Lydia leave the cafe, taking a deep breathe to enjoy her scent while it still lingers. Erica throws a macaroon at her head, the distraction of Lydia’s smile and scent is enough to cause Allison to miss it as it hits her cheek. Erica cackles in triumph, “Yeah, you’re totally gone on her.” Allison pops the macaroon in her mouth with a pathetic sigh, as if she really needs the obvious to be stated.

 

 

Boyd realizes his mistake a hair too late as the words, “looks like I made too much frosting” tumble from his lips. As if summoned by Boyd’s words alone, it takes less than two seconds before Erica and Isaac are pushing at each other in an attempt to to get through the kitchen door faster. Erica elbows her way past Isaac, beelining for where Allison is leaning against the counter, eating frosting off a spatula. Isaac reaches out quickly, pulling Erica back and into the hard corner of the counter by her belt loop as they skirt around her, dipping their finger into the frosting as their reward. Boyd raises a bemused eyebrow as Erica quickly recovers from crashing into the counter, hip checking Isaac out of the way to take her own scoop of frosting. Isaac squawks at the sudden jostle, distancing themselves from the frosting. They smear frosting on Erica’s forearm in retaliation. Erica snaps her head in their direction, her gaze piercing and mouth slightly agape with betrayal. She flicks frosting at Isaac’s face, landing on their cheek, in their blonde tight curls, and on their scarf.

Boyd shakes his head to himself as he leaves the kitchen muttering, “Always such vultures.

Allison sees Isaac’s eyebrows scrunch in concentration, the look in their eyes turning devious and she knows exactly what they’re thinking. She runs to the the other side of the table as Isaac reaches with their frosted fingers for Erica’s cheek. Erica catches on quickly to Isaac’s plan too, dodging out of their path as she rubs her frosted forearm against Isaac’s enroute to Allison. Erica may have strength on Allison but Allison has speed. She spins in the opposite direction of Erica and right into Isaac’s arms. Isaac scoops up some frosting from the bowl and flings it at Erica’s head, just as Allison ducks down and out of the line of the frosting fire. Allison laughs to herself at the squeal Erica makes and the one from Isaac that follows shortly after, her laughter stopping suddenly when she feels the soft thud of the sugary substance hitting her back.

She stands up slowly to the bemused face of Erica trying to hide her laughter behind her hand and the horrified face of Isaac. She scoops out a bit of frosting using two fingers, flinging it at Isaac as they hastily retreat into Erica’s body. Allison has already scooped up more frosting when the kitchen door swings open hard and fast, freezing Erica, Isaac and Allison in their tracks. In sync, the three of them turn to see the fierce redheaded beauty that is Lydia, “Why didn’t you tell me that your alpha is the owner of Hale’s Underworld?!” Her voice sounds slightly betrayed with a hint of the anger that fueled her frosting-fight-halting entrance.

A frazzled Derek peers through the doorway behind Lydia, exclaiming “Boyd ratted out your location!” at the same time that Isaac answers Lydia’s question slowly, as if they are confused by her feelings, “Dude, this place is literally named ‘A Hale of a Good Time’... How many Hales do you know?”

Lydia deflates at Isaac’s response, her hand coming out to catch the door as it swings back. “Shit, I guess I never knew the real name of this place... Laura offered me a position at the shop, then asked me how I drew so many pieces in one day so I explained that the cafe on the corner of Main has a really great atmosphere that inspires me and keeps me focused. She said she knew the exact place I was talking about since her brother and the rest of her pack work here and I-”

Feeling blindsided by the sudden appearance of her crush, whose power stance and charging in is doing things to Allison-like really sexy things~ in her mind, it takes a moment for her brain to come back online. Allison feels flustered at the odd scenario she finds herself in, blurting out in the middle of Lydia’s rambling story, “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think that you would be hired for any reason other than your amazing talent!” It causes Lydia to stop talking mid sentence, pausing with her mouth open, a slight gape that draws Allison’s attention to Lydia’s signature ruby red lips. Allison’s eyes flick back up to Lydia’s eyes as she continues speaking, further flustered by the slight distraction. It seems to be a theme for her around Lydia, Allison is noticing: easily distracted. “I was afraid that if I mentioned it, you might think that I would influence my alpha to hire a beautiful woman that I have a massive crush on and smells amazing!”

Erica mutters, ‘smooth’, as she scoops more frosting up with her pointer finger. Isaac silently follows suit, their facial expression switching from confused to fully emotionally invested eyes at the scene unfolding in front of them in a heartbeat.

Lydia’s open mouth melts into a coy smirk, her eyes sparkling as she repeats Allison’s words like a teenage boy, “You have a crush on me?”

Allison is taken back and relieved at the fact that out of everything that she just word vomited, the crush part stood out to Lydia. She blushes at Lydia’s forwardness, putting the bowl of frosting down on the table in front of her as an excuse to break eye contact. No longer feeling the false bravado of being flustered to speak bravely, Allison sputters slightly as she responds, “Ye-yeah? I thought the heart in the foam was an obvious sign...”

Erica nudges Isaac, leaning towards them to whisper, “Take note, a heart in the foam is not straightforward enough.” Isaac nods in understanding, as if they are committing every bit of this to memory for future wooing adventures. 

Lydia ignores Erica’s side comment as she steps closer to Allison, “Can I kiss you?”

“God, yes please!” Allison mutters in relief as she snaps her head back up, taking big steps to quickly close the distance between them. She holds Lydia’s face in her hands as she gently touches her lips to Lydia’s, easing her way into this new and exciting territory for them. Lydia smiles against Allison’s lips, spurring Allison to lick in between her red lips to taste that sweet smile on her own tongue. Lydia groans in appreciation, her hands gripping onto Allison’s hips to steady herself while bringing them closer. Loud wolf whistles and cheering from Erica and Isaac rudely remind Allison and Lydia where they are currently standing. Allison pulls back slowly, smiling to herself when she opens her eyes to see Lydia watching her too, the same smile echoed on her lips. Lydia licks them, as if chasing the sweetness of Allison’s frosting kisses off her red lips, causing Allison to grin wider as she asks, “Want to get dinner with me Friday night?”

Lydia nods yes as she replies, “it’s a date”, setting Erica and Isaac off, hooting and hollering louder than previous making Allison rolls her eyes fondly at their antics.

  

 

After a successful and delicious dinner, Allison finally has Lydia the way she (and her wolf) has always wanted her: stripped down to her bra and underwear, stretched out on her bed. Allison starts at Lydia’s lips, mouthing along Lydia’s jaw to kiss her way down her throat, following the path of the vibrant blue tattoo. Lydia’s voice is soft in the quiet of the bedroom, “My friend Danny gave me that tattoo; the solid lines represent protection and the curves are the ocean’s waves. He said it’s a reminder, that I’m always gonna be changing like the tides.”

Allison smiles into her kisses, listening to the hitch in Lydia’s voice as she peppers her sensitive neck with gentle kisses. Her hands roaming gently over Lydia’s torso as she kisses down Lydia’s right arm, over the words BANSHEE that caught her eye all those days ago. “I’m not embarrassed or afraid of what or who I am. I’m proud to be a wailing woman.”

They pass the next twenty minutes or so like this, with Allison slowly kissing her way across Lydia’s body and Lydia talking freely and quietly about her tattoos. Many of the tattoos hold a personal meaning to her like,

“There is a good deal of pride that comes from surviving, even the little things…….The first relationship I was in wasn’t a healthy one. He used to constantly call me names like stupid or a pansy… After we broke up, I hated the flower because of the memories that came with its name. When I felt healed, I took back ownership of the word: pansy.”

While the other tattoos she simply finds pretty. In the soft yellow light from Allison’s night stand lamp, she can’t help but vehemently agree with that. The tattoos looking radiant, beautiful, and powerful against Lydia’s creamy soft pink skin.

Allison looks up from the middle of Lydia’s chest where she’s just placed her lips over the red lipped kiss tattooed mark, her wolf practically purring in happiness at the fact that her lips are a perfect fit. Lydia’s head is slightly raised, looking down her chest at Allison, her pupils blown and her smile mischievous. Allison tilts her head to the side in confusion, more of her hair falls out of its messy bun and onto Lydia’s chest. Allison barely registers what is happening before landing on her back, staring up at Lydia in shock and awe at her fast and effortless flipping of their positions. A new wave of arousal flows through Allison at the exchange of power, making her skin tingle everywhere their skin touches. Lydia’s wild, curly red hair creates an intimate cover around them as she leans forward slowly, trailing her fingers up Allison’s sides as she whispers in Allison’s ear, “Now it’s my turn to explore.”

 

The toaster oven pings at the same time the coffee machine beeps, both vying for Allison’s minimal morning focus. Allison is no fool, she thinks to herself as she grabs two mugs from the wall and begins to split the coffee between the cups. She knows she needs at least two before she is even a half functioning person and from the fact that Lydia whined unhappily when Allison left the bed this morning, she imagines that they share that sentiment. Allison can hear Lydia now as she gets out of the bed, the sound of her humming and her bare feet padding around the hardwood floors of her bedroom can be heard clearly in the kitchen thanks to Allison’s werewolf hearing. The sounds of Lydia in her space warm Allison’s insides more than the hot coffee she is currently taking sips from, but she tries not to think too deeply about it. Lydia’s voice carries over the distance just as easily, drawing Allison back to the task at hand of scrounging up a half decent breakfast. “Babe, can I borrow a shirt? I don’t want to put my button up back on…” 

“Absolutely, whatever you find!” Allison says, smiling to herself, both at the cute pet name and the thought of Lydia wearing her clothes around everywhere. That concept of wearing Allison’s clothes, like a statement that they’re together-a flashing neon sign to everyone (humans and wolves alike) that Lydia is taken by her, pleases her wolf and turns her on more than she would like to admit. So far she has been trying to consciously separate herself from her wolf’s thoughts on Lydia and their relationship so she can make clear and human decisions, without her more primal judgement clouding her actions. She knows if her wolf had her way, she would have already asked Lydia to move in with her, mixing their scents together permanently, and do whatever it took to ensure that she stayed forever. Which is fast, way too fast, right? Even as supernatural creature, they had to take their time to make sure they are together because they genuinely want to be and not because they feel like they have to be. It can feel conflicting and difficult because this, them together, just feels right deep, down in her bones. She knows it’s irrational, considering for how little time they’ve spent with eachother, but after Lydia, if there is every anyone else, they will never compare to this feeling which is horrifying and exciting but also horrifying.

“Coffee?” Lydia’s voice sounding much closer than it was moment ago, startles Allison; a reminder that she has not had nearly enough coffee herself if she can be snuck up on in her own kitchen so easily. She turns to hand Lydia the coffee she poured for her, resting her back against the counter to casually look at the shirt Lydia chose-her old high school lacrosse jersey. She bites her lip, admiring the way the slightly too big jersey hangs off Lydia’s shoulder and stops mid thigh. She looks back up, meeting Lydia’s shy gaze. “Damn, you chose my Halloween costume.”

Lydia blushes under the gaze as she takes the coffee cup from Allison’s offered hand, the early morning light causing her to lose some of her fearless edge.“Oh, you didn’t play?” She sips at the coffee in between her hands, smiling softly as a thank you.

The smile draws Allison’s attention to the purplish mark she made in the hollow of Lydia’s collarbone, in a curve of her baby blue tattoo. She is hit with an urge to freshen it up, make it darker-an obvious and clear marker of ownership. She shakes the wolfish thought from her mind at Lydia’s question, “No I did play-back in high school. But I just wore it more recently than that for a last minute Halloween costume… It just.. it looks way better on you than it ever did on me.”

Half of Lydia’s lips curve up into a coy smirk, insecurities clearly overcome in moments from Allison’s admiration. She raises her eyebrows, clearly edging Allison on as she places her cup on the table behind her and crowds Allison in against the counter. She maintains eye contact as she puts one hand on either side of Allison on the counter, boxing her in. Her voice deeper as she asks, “Yeah?”

Allison’s eyes glance down to Lydia’s mouth as she speaks, she slowly nods her head yes as she looks back up into Lydia’s eyes. Her body is thrumming in anticipation as Lydia watches her with that same predatory glance from last night as she moves in closer to Allison’s lips. She moves at the pace of a glacier, the build up making Allison feel as though she will vibrate out of her skin at any moment.

When Lydia’s lips finally touch hers, the thrumming energy changes to electricity that races from her lips down to her toes and soothes her. She surges forward, her hands shooting out to grab Lydia’s hips and bring her flush to Allison’s front. Lydia’s left hand lets go of the counter to hold back of Allison’s head. Their kisses turn filthy as she nips at Allison’s plump bottom lip, teasing her gently into parting her lips. Allison’s hands skirt down from Lydia’s hips to her thighs, searching for the end of jersey to run her hands up Lydia’s soft skin. Lydia can’t help the small groan she lets out when Allison gently squeezes her breast. Allison continues to massage Lydia’s breast in her hand as she kisses her way down Lydia’s throat towards her handiwork from last night that she wanted to touch up earlier, making an effort to rub her chin and nose against Lydia’s skin along the way, scenting her. The gesture does not go unnoticed to Lydia because she chuckles slightly, which causes Allison to gently bite at the hickey before running her tongue over it to smooth it.

Lydia pulls back reluctantly from Allison’s enticing mouth, her soft bed head waves framing her face as she tilts her head to one side. “That reminds me, the other day you said I smell amazing… Care to elaborate?”

Allison groans playfully, resting her head on Lydia’s shoulder in embarrassment as her hands slip back down to Lydia’s waist under the jersey. Lydia slides her hand from Allison’s head down to her back and the other runs up her thigh in a soothing gesture. Allison kisses her exposed shoulder from the oversized jersey before raising her head back up, “Yeah, you smell amazing to me... and my wolf.” She huffs a breath of laughter at herself before continuing, “it caught me so off guard the first time I met you that I dropped and broke two cups.”

Lydia chuckles, her eyes lighting up with joy at the memory of that first encounter. The hand rubbing Allison’s back stops, Lydia brings her hand between them to hold Allison’s cheek instead. Her thumb gently stroking Allison’s cheek as she speaks in a voice soft with wonder and affection, “what do I smell like to you?”

Allison looks into Lydia’s eyes for a moment, for some sign that she feels this connection too-that this chemistry isn’t just in her head or solely from her wolf, before she raises her hand off Lydia’s hip to touch the hand on her cheek. Lydia’s thumb stills its caresses, she watches as Allison closes her eyes and inhales deeply through her nose. She holds Lydia’s hand in hers against her cheek as she angles her head down and to the side, to bring her nose closer to Lydia’s inner wrist and the pansy tattoo there. She opens her eyes slowly, their beta golden yellow reflecting what little morning light is flickering in through the apartment as she makes eye contact with Lydia. “You smell like honeysuckle flowers, the forest after a summer rain, and a warm cup of green tea. You smell earthy, full of life and potential, and.. and it soothes my wolf. You smell like something I want to keep close forever.”

Lydia smiles her small, sweet smile, that Allison thinks might just be for her, leaning in close to brush her nose against Allison’s. The proximity makes Allison go a little cross eyed, blinking her eyes back to their human color as they try to focus on Lydia’s. “It’s a little different for me but I think I get it. When I’m around you, the voices are quieter… less urgent... and it just feels right.” They just regard each other for a second, letting their words hang in the air between them, creating a comfortable and warm environment, while they both process this information, the importance of this moment not missed by either of them.

Lydia breaks silence first, “I like that idea… forever.” She slowly brings her lips closer to Allison’s, stopping once she is so close that Allison can feel the breathe of her words on her lips, “I want to try it with you.”

Allison presses her lips forward the last quarter of an inch to gently kiss Lydia in a way that is very reminiscent of their first kiss-soft, easy, and full of promise that ahead there will be many, many more.

the end!

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed it! if you ever want to talk about the lack of femslash or allison feelings, my tumblr is [here!](http://www.melbopo.tumblr.com)
> 
> thanks again to Charlie and Kayla for being my biggest supporters! I definitely would not have written as much as I have without you guys cheering me on! this gift is a lil token of my gratitude <3


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